Date: 13 January 2010 BROCKLEBANK RESPONDS TO LOCAL PLAN Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Ted Brocklebank, has responded to Fife Council’s St Andrews and East Fife Local Plan by broadly endorsing the views of the St Andrews Community Council and the St Andrews Preservation Trust.
Commenting, Mr Brocklebank said;
“I fully endorse the St Andrews Community Council campaign to utilise brownfield and suitable infill sites for new housing developments in St Andrews before further consideration is given to the use of greenfield land.
“It is understandable that developers should already be promoting the competing claims of greenfield sites to the northwest and southwest of the town, given that the local plan talks of a need for 1000 new homes. But it is by no means the case that either or both of the sites will be required even if this scale of building is embarked upon.
“I support the Community Council’s view that the releasing of the Kilrymont school site, with agreement close on the new single-site Madras College, would accommodate a very substantial part of the proposed new housing. There are also brownfield sites at the Cottage Hospital, Fleming Place, New Park school, the Bassaguard and significant infill sites elsewhere which I am sure would mop up the remaining houses required during the plan period. The diverse nature of these sites would also support the provision of affordable housing to meet the local need.
“What St Andrews must avoid is being rushed into any precipitate decision on new large-scale housing developments on the outskirts of the town until it is shown that there is a definite need for it. If and when that time comes common sense suggests that no single developer should be given exclusive and sole house building rights. When the housing market returns it would be wrong for any developer to have a monopoly on the provision of new homes in a place like St Andrews.”
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